1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a personal video player including a monitor which is capable of being stowed in and deployed from an airline passenger seat console.
2. Description of the Related Art
Commercial airline companies are constantly striving to provide improved services for their customers. Inflight movies projected on a screen which is visible to all of the passengers in a particular section of an aircraft cabin are standard in the industry. However, the movies to be shown on each flight are selected by the airline company, and may not appeal to all of the passengers.
It is therefore desirable to provide each passenger with an individual means for viewing a movie of his or her choice. This capability is made possible by the development of video cassette recorders small enough such that one can be provided for each passenger seat. The passengers may select the movies they wish to watch from a collection of video tapes provided in the aircraft.
Various configurations of personal video players have been proposed as illustrated in a advertisement by the Airvision company in Avion magazine, 4th quarter 1990, page 37. These include viewing monitors mounted in seatbacks, and on trays which fold down from the seatbacks. For front row seats with no seatbacks in front of them, the monitors may be rigidly mounted on the armrests or consoles between the seats. Monitors may also be attached to the ends of telescoping arms which extend upwardly from consoles or armrests.
These prior art video player arrangements are subject to various drawbacks. Modification or replacement of airline seats to accommodate video monitors therein can be prohibitively expensive. Monitors which attach to seatback trays are subject to breakage and theft. Monitors which are immovably attached to arms extending from seat armrests or consoles are also easily broken and may constitute substantial safety hazards in the event of turbulent aircraft motion, since passengers may be jolted forward from their seats and strike their heads against the protruding monitors. Telescopic arms for supporting video monitors lack the durability for practical use.